Sara Röel

The 26-year-old, Röel, lives and trains in Leon, a small town in central Mexico, and apart from a European excursion in 2018 where she competed in the Under-23 European Championships in Valencia, has raced sparingly outside of the Americas. In 2016 Röel won the 20-24 age-group world title in Cozumel and was runner-up over the standard distance, with performances that gave her the confidence to make the leap into elite fields.

A string of top 10s in continental cups have followed including a fourth place in the Pan-American Championships in St George, Utah last year followed by a win in Valdivia, Chile a week later. In 2022, Röel finished second in another Continental Cup in her homeland in La Paz and made a first appearance at World Cup level in Huatulco. Coached remotely by Jonathan Esteve from Merida, Spain, she trains with local triathletes in Leon, and joins the regional squad for swim sessions. Röel cites her father as her biggest influence for introducing her to the sport, and credits her family and coach for their ongoing support.

After an exciting debut at the Super League Triathlon Championship series in 2022, Roel is back, to try her hand at SLT’s infamous Arena Games Triathlon Powered by Zwift format in 2023.

Outside of triathlon she enjoys hiking and having picnics, and travelling to her family’s country getaway house, where she loves spending time with the animals.